Russia's fuel crisis has begun to ease following a change in Ukraine's attack tactics — Bloomberg
Signs of an easing gasoline shortage are being observed in Russian regions after the Ukrainian military shifted the focus of its strikes from large oil refineries to ships, according to Bloomberg.
From Russia’s Black Sea coast to the depths of Siberia, local officials are informing residents that fuel is more readily available and supplies are more stable. Although rationing remains in effect, in some areas the daily gasoline sales limits per vehicle are gradually increasing.
“The situation remains challenging but is showing signs of stabilization,” said Vyacheslav Fedoryshchev on Tuesday, governor of the Samara Region, where three Rosneft refineries are located. Igor Kobzev, his counterpart in the Irkutsk region, noted that lines at gas stations have reportedly shortened significantly, and gasoline availability has improved.
Bloomberg reports that this cautious optimism has emerged after several weeks of chaos, when Ukraine’s unprecedented strikes on oil refineries caused Russia’s oil refining volumes to plummet to their lowest levels in several years. This triggered a sharp rise in fuel prices and forced the government in Moscow to ban nearly all exports of gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel.
For the first time in history, Russia plans to begin importing diesel fuel due to a sharp decline in its own production and a shortage in the domestic market.
The Russian Red Cross has begun building up additional humanitarian aid reserves for the temporarily occupied Crimea and Sevastopol following the declaration of a state of emergency on the peninsula.
On the temporarily occupied Crimean Peninsula, local residents report prolonged power outages, fuel shortages, rising prices, and problems with the functioning of social infrastructure. According to them, the situation is particularly dire in the northern regions of the peninsula.
As a reminder, Ukraine has announced that it struck 19 Russian tankers carrying fuel for Crimea.
